COLUMBUS– Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted today announced 8,800 new entities filed to do business in Ohio throughout the month of July, an increase of 1,279 when compared to the same month in 2016.

So far, 71,979 new entities have filed to do business in Ohio this year. Due to the use of Ohio Business Central, the online business filing site founded by Secretary Husted in 2013, this number continues to climb. Already in 2017, three out of every four entities founded were started online. From the time Ohio Business Central was launched until the end of July 2017, the Secretary of State’s Office has processed over 274,196 online filings.

July 2017 marked 21 months since Secretary Husted reduced the cost of starting and maintaining a business in the Buckeye State by 21 percent. This change has saved Ohio businesses over $4.5 million to date.

Secretary Husted’s efforts to cut costs don’t stop there. In fact, his request for a 100 percent cut in the amount of tax dollars needed to run his office was recently approved in the state’s budget. Husted’s request will save taxpayers nearly $5 million in the next two years. Secretary Husted was able to do this because of his wise financial stewardship. During his first term, he reduced spending by $14.5 million, a 16 percent reduction when compared to the previous administration. Secretary Husted is also operating his office with nearly 40 percent fewer staff and payroll costs at the Secretary of State’s Office are at the lowest level in 10 years.

Secretary Husted’s success in improving customer service is also apparent by the fact that more people are choosing Ohio as the place to do business. Earlier this year he announced that 2016 was the seventh consecutive year the state has seen a record number of new entities filing to do business in Ohio (read more). With strong filing growth in the first quarter of 2017, Ohio is well on its way to another record year.

Though the most visible role of the Secretary of State is that of chief elections officer, the office is also the first stop for individuals or companies who want to file and start a business in Ohio. While recognizing these numbers can’t provide a complete picture of Ohio’s jobs climate, they are an important indicator of economic activity that Secretary Husted hopes will add to the ongoing discussion of how to improve the state’s overall climate for business.

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown encouraged Ohioans to seek nomination from his office to U.S. service academies for 2018 admission.

Brown’s office will accept completed application packets from now until the deadline of September 22, 2017.

Each year, Brown nominates up to 10 students for each service academy requiring congressional recommendations: the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

Students interested in applying to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy do not need a congressional recommendation.

“As people take advantage of the sales tax holiday and complete their back-to-school shopping, we want them to be prepared,” Attorney General DeWine said. “We’ve helped thousands of people resolve consumer complaints, and we know that many disputes are the result of a misunderstanding. We put an emphasis on prevention to help people avoid problems and make the most of their money.”

During the sales tax holiday, the following items are exempt from sales and use tax:

.Clothing priced at $75 per item or less;

.School supplies priced at $20 per item or less; and

.School instructional materials priced at $20 per item or less.

The Ohio Department of Taxation provides detailed information about the sales tax holiday on its website, including FAQs about what is and what is not exempt from sales tax during the holiday.

Tips for consumers include:

.Plan ahead. The sales tax holiday runs from Friday, Aug. 4, through Sunday, Aug. 6, 2017. Determine in advance the purchases you want to make, and review the Department of Taxation’s FAQs to understand what is and what is not exempt from sales and use tax during the sales tax holiday. Also research sellers’ reputations by reading customer reviews and checking for complaints on file with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and Better Business Bureau.

.Understand return policies before you buy. In Ohio, sellers can choose to set their own return policies, including policies of “no returns,” but they should clearly tell you what their return policy is before you check out or complete the transaction. For example, the return policy shouldn’t be posted only on the back of a receipt.

.Stay safe online. Research websites you plan to use, and make sure a website is secure before you enter any personal information or payment details. In the web address, look for the “s” in “https” and/or a lock symbol to help ensure a website has security features. Also consider paying with a credit card, which generally gives you stronger protections to dispute unauthorized charges.

.Check the exclusions and limitations of an offer. Exclusions and limitations must be clearly disclosed in advertisements, including online, so review terms and conditions carefully before you go to the store or make a purchase.

.Keep your receipts. Maintaining a complete record of a sale will help you handle problems that may arise after the purchase. Keep receipts, copies of advertisements, photos of products, and other documentation until the transaction and billing process are complete.

.Monitor your accounts. Regularly check your credit card and bank accounts for unauthorized charges or unexpected activity. If you find problems, immediately notify your credit card provider or bank. The sooner you identify a problem, the sooner you can work to correct it.

.Protect your personal information. Don’t carry around extra, unneeded credit cards, debit cards, or other sensitive information in your wallet or purse. Also limit giving out your personal information. Check privacy policies to see how sellers will use your information.

.Watch for scams and identity theft. Con artists operate year round. If you receive a message saying you’ve won the lottery, the IRS is coming to arrest you, or a family member is out of the country and in need of money immediately, it’s likely a scam. Also, help watch for signs of potential identity theft by checking your credit report using www.AnnualCreditReport.com.

]]>Ag is Cool! Contest Winners Announcedhttp://wktn.com/ohio/315652
WKTN NewsThu, 27 Jul 2017 10:21:00 -0500http://wktn.com/ohio/315652Lt. Governor Mary Taylor and Ohio Department of Agriculture Director David T. Daniels announced today the winners of the 2017 “Agriculture is Cool!” visual arts contest. Ohio children enrolled in school or home schooled during the 2016-2017 academic year shared their personal interpretation of why Ohio agriculture is “cool” for their chance to win a trip to the Ohio State Fair.

Twelve entries were selected as winners in their respective categories, and in our region, the 6th to 8th grade photography winner was 12 year old Abby Breece of Alvada in Hancock County.

The winners were honored by Lt. Governor Taylor, Ohio Agriculture Director Daniels and Ohio State Fair Manager Virgil Strickler at a ceremony at the Ohio State Fairgrounds.

WCMH-TV NBC4 reports that the Ohio State Highway Patrol has released the names of the victims in the state fair accident. 18 year old Tyler Jarrett is the identity of the man that was killed in the incedent.

36 year old Tamika Dunlap (Rynoldsburg), 42 year old Russell Franks (Columbus), 19 year old Keziah Lews (Columbus), 22 year old Jacob Andrews (Pataskala), 18 year old Jennifer Lambert (Columbus), and a 14 year old boy who's name isn't being released at the request of the family, were all injured in that incedent.

Origional Story:

One person is dead and seven injured after an amusement ride accident that occurred Wednesday, at the Ohio State Fair, according to the Columbus Dispatch.

The Amusement ride known as the “Fire Ball” malfunctioned, ejecting eight individuals from the ride.

The ride is described as an “aggressive thrill” swinging riders 40 feet above the ground.

Ohio Governor, John Kasich ordered that all other operating amusement rides within the Ohio State Fair be shut down for further inspection. The Governor released a statement via Twitter.

The FBI Internet Crimes Center released a bulletin late last week concerning "Smart Toys" that connect to the internet and can pose cyber security and privacy concerns for consumers.

These toys can potentially collect information about you and your family.

The bulletin notes that in some cases, toys with microphones could record and collect conversations within earshot of the device. Information such as the child’s name, school, likes and dislikes, and activities may be disclosed through normal conversation with the toy or in the surrounding environment.

The bulletin was issued so parents can use caution when purchasing new toys for their children.

COLUMBUS, OH - The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Flash Flood Warning for Perry County until 2 p.m. today; Flash Flood Warning for Fairfield and Licking counties until 2:45 p.m. A Flood Warning has been issued for Hancock, Hardin, Sandusky, Seneca, Wood and Wyandot counties until further notice. Forecast river flooding in these areas increased from moderate to major severity. A Flash Flood Watch has also been issued for 70 Ohio counties through tomorrow (July 14).

The NWS also noted that a flood threat exists for all of central and southern Ohio. The NWS forecasts heaviest rain throughout tonight in northern Ohio. Major flooding is expected for Blanchard and Portage rivers, with moderate flooding expected for the Scioto and Auglaize rivers.

“The State of Ohio continues to monitor weather conditions and is in communication with affected county EMA offices,” said Sima Merick, executive director of the Ohio Emergency Management Agency. “With the severe weather and flood advisories issued, right now is the best time to take steps to protect your flooding and home from potential flooding.”

.Move valuable household possessions to upper floors or to safe grounds, if time permits.

.Listen to a NOAA Weather Radio or a local news station for the latest storm and weather information.

.Ensure you are covered for flood damage. There are two types of flood policies: one for building structures and one for its contents. Have good photos of your home in its pre-flood conditions. National Flood Insurance Program

.If instructed by local officials/authorities, turn off all utilizes at the main power source and close the main gas valve.

.Be prepared to evacuate.

.NEVER drive through flooded roadways. When approaching a flooded road, stop and do not cross. Drivers cannot always determine the depth of water or if roadbeds are washed out.

The best advice: Turn Around, Don’t Drown.

Know before you go. Current road conditions, closures, accidents are available by logging onto the Ohio Department of Transportation’s www.OhGo.com.

The Ohio Department of Agriculture will be sponsoring a collection for farmers wishing to dispose of unwanted pesticides on Aug. 15 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the OSU Extension Putnam County Office 1206 East 2nd Street in Ottawa.

The pesticide collection and disposal service is free of charge, but only farm chemicals will be accepted. Paint, antifreeze, solvents, and household or non-farm pesticides will not be accepted.

Pesticide collections are sponsored by the department in conjunction with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. To pre-register, or for more information, contact the Ohio Department of Agriculture at 614-728-6987.

The Ohio State University will propose the Ohio State Tuition Guarantee. Tuition and fees would increase 5.5 percent for incoming Ohio freshmen in August and then, under the guarantee, be frozen at that level for four years.

This will apply to incoming freshmen only. Tuition and fees will not change for existing in-state students, including current sophomores, juniors and seniors.

This would mark the fifth straight year of a tuition-and-fee freeze for existing students.

Concurrently, Ohio State will significantly expand aid for middle- and lower-income students.

The Board of Trustees will deliberate and discuss these proposed changes at a meeting on July 11.

]]>Lima Company Featured in Business Profile Program This Monthhttp://wktn.com/ohio/312841
WKTN NewsFri, 07 Jul 2017 13:56:00 -0500http://wktn.com/ohio/312841

Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted announced Thursday that the Ohio Business Profile program will feature businesses with products "Made in Ohio" throughout the month of July.

Companies profiled this month in our region is Gasdorf Tool and Machine Company in Lima, which has been recognized as a pacesetter in the production of precision machinery.

They specialize in various types of equipment ranging from simple fabrication to complete assembly machines.

Columbus - As of July 1, 2017, a new law goes into effect requiring first-time applicants for a driver’s license, who have not taken a course, to take an abbreviated adult driver training course when they fail their first attempt at the driving test.

This new law applies to first-time applicants age eighteen (18) years and older, who have never held a driver’s license. If they fail their first attempt at maneuverability or the road portion of their driving test, they will be required to take the abbreviated adult driver training course before they are able to test for a second time.

There are four options for customers who are required to take the abbreviated adult driver training course with a licensed school. The options are:

1. A 4 hour in-person class followed by 4 hours of behind-the-wheel training with a licensed instructor with a licensed abbreviated adult driver training school; or

2. A 4 hour in-person class followed by 24 hours of driving with a licensed driver 21 years of age or older; or

3. A 4 hour state-approved online course followed by 4 hours of behind-the-wheel training with a licensed instructor with a licensed abbreviated adult driver training school; or

4. A 4 hour state-approved online course followed by 24 hours of driving with a licensed driver 21 years of age or older.

The customers who choose the option for 24 hours of driving with a licensed driver 21 years of age or older cannot complete more than four hours of driving in one day. The customer is required to complete the Twenty-four Hour Affidavit (BMV 5789) found on the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV’s) website, www.bmv.ohio.gov.

When the customer returns to the BMV for the second attempt at the driving test, they shall bring the certificate of completion of an abbreviated adult driver training course, along with the Twenty-four hour affidavit, if they chose that option. The affidavit shall be completely filled out, signed and notarized to be accepted.

(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today warned consumers to beware of home rental scams. The Ohio Attorney General’s Office has received over 40 reports about the scams in 2017, and summer is a peak time for moving and traveling.

In a typical rental scam, a con artist posts an ad online offering a house or apartment for rent. When interested consumers respond to the ad, the con artist tells them to send a deposit. Later, the consumers discover that the rental ad was phony and the con artist had no affiliation with the property. Reported losses have ranged from $250 to $5,000.

“Scam artists will say, ‘You send us the money, and we’ll send you the keys,’ but that’s a lie,” Attorney General DeWine said. “The truth is these con artists are offering properties they don’t own and hoping people will take the bait. We encourage people to be very careful. If someone’s asking you to wire a deposit for a property you’ve never seen in person, there’s a good chance it’s a scam.”

To make the scams seem believable, con artists often steal photos and property information from legitimate real estate listings then repost the information as rental property ads on Craigslist or other sites. The advertised rent is often low, and con artists generally tell people to wire a few hundred dollars (or more) to secure the rental or to prevent others from viewing the property.

.Rental ads offering properties that are listed for sale on other websites.

.Landlords who offer to rent to you immediately, without checking your credit.

.Requests for you to wire money before you’ve seen the property.

.Landlords who claim they’re out of the country for business or missionary work.

To avoid scams:

.Be wary of requests for wire transfers, money orders, prepaid money cards, or gift cards. These are preferred payment methods for scammers, because once payment is provided, it is nearly impossible to recover.

.Be skeptical of ads offering below-market rates on houses or apartments. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

.Check the county auditor’s website to determine who owns the property. Be aware that scam artists may pretend to be the true owner.

.Don’t send any money until you’ve seen a property in person and/or verified that the person communicating with you is truly who he or she claims to be.

.Be wary of landlords, property owners, or real estate professionals who say they had to leave the country quickly for business or missionary work. These kinds of claims are made often by scam artists.

.Be wary of landlords or property managers who offer to rent property to you without gathering any information from you, such as your credit score or a background check.

.Copy and paste an image from an online listing into a search engine to determine if it has appeared elsewhere online.

.Read and follow the scam prevention tips provided by any house or apartment-searching websites you use.

Real estate agents and sellers can help protect their listings by watermarking their photos and reporting fraudulent postings to the website where they appeared.

In addition to rental scams, consumers also should watch out for closing-cost scams that target home buyers or sellers. In these scams, a con artist typically poses as a title office or a real estate agent and emails the home buyer or seller with instructions to wire closing costs to a certain location. The instructions seem legitimate, but the message is bogus and any money sent will go to a scammer.

Consumers can learn more about scams or report potential scams to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at www.OhioProtects.org or 800-282-0515.

June is National Internet Safety Month, and with data breaches, ransomware attacks, fake tech support scams, and phishing emails becoming more and more prevalent, it is becoming increasingly important to be in the know regarding internet safety.

The Consumer Fraud Advisory Group joins with the National Cyber Security Alliance in suggesting several cyber hygiene defenses including: Don’t click on links from unfamiliar sources, prevent infections by updating critical software as soon as patches or new operating system versions are available, use strong authentication, requiring more than a username and password to access accounts and make better passwords to better harden accounts against intrusions.

To obtain additional information or to report a scam, contact the BBB serving Northwest and West Central Ohio at 419-531-3116.

]]>Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame Nomination Deadline Approachinghttp://wktn.com/ohio/309643
WKTN NewsWed, 14 Jun 2017 23:19:00 -0500http://wktn.com/ohio/309643The last chance to honor veterans who have served their communities following military service is fast approaching.

The deadline for nominations for the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame Class of 2017 is June 30.

The Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame was established in 1992 to recognize the achievements of veterans in community service after their military service ended.

The Hall of Fame Executive Committee, made up of veterans, selects not more than 20 inductees annually. Men and women chosen for induction into the Hall come from all eras, all branches of service and all walks of life.

]]>OHSAA Announces Football Regions, Schedule, Formathttp://wktn.com/ohio/308356
WKTN NewsWed, 07 Jun 2017 00:10:00 -0500http://wktn.com/ohio/308356The Ohio High School Athletic Association has announced the football regions and schedule format for the 2017 playoffs.

New in 2017, all playoff games during the first four rounds will be played on Friday nights. Also announced was the format for the state championship games, which will be played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton Nov. 30 through Dec. 2.

The new regions and playoffs format were approved last Thursday by the OHSAA Board of Directors at their June meeting as part of the 2017 football tournament regulations.

]]>ACT Distributes Wrong Exams, Refuses to Scorehttp://wktn.com/ohio/307714
State News EditorThu, 01 Jun 2017 16:02:00 -0500http://wktn.com/ohio/307714
The Columbus Dispatch reports that the college entrance exam ACT sent 21 school districts incorrect test versions during the April 19th state mandated exam to high school juniors. Each test date had a different version of the test.

The testing company refused to place marks on the tests, and offered a free test to affected students on a later date.

State Superintendent Paolo DeMaria calls the jesture "unsatisfactory" and is requesting the students exams be scored to be included in college applications.

Some districts reportedly had hundreds of students impacted.

One of these schools where some 500 juniors test scores were invalidated, was Reynoldburg. School Superintendent Tina Thomas-Manning said that even though the students could retake the test in the fall, it would be too late for early applicatoin deadlines.

]]>Earthquake Rumbles Southeast Ohiohttp://wktn.com/ohio/306629
State News EditorWed, 24 May 2017 16:13:00 -0500http://wktn.com/ohio/306629
NBC 4 News reports that a 3.4 magnitude earthquake shook south of McArthur, Ohio just after noon on Wednesday. McArthur is located in Vinton County.

The United State Geological Survey says that around 55 poeple felt the earthquake.

This is the second and largest quake of the year in Ohio. The first, struck in Monroe County and measured in at a 3.0 magnitude in early April.

]]>Rock on the Range concert attendees mourn Chris Cornell, deal with bad weatherhttp://wktn.com/ohio/305981
State News EditorSat, 20 May 2017 13:06:00 -0500http://wktn.com/ohio/305981
As concert-goers mourned the death of Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell, thunderstorms canceled some performances Friday at Rock on the Range at Mapfre Stadium.

The rock festival’s opening day was cut short as attendees were evacuated due to severe weather that moved through the area. Once the weather cleared, doors reopened at 7:10 p.m.

The canceled performances added to the already somber atmosphere at the stadium. Soundgarden was to be the headliner Friday night and was scheduled to be the last act. Cornell was found dead Wednesday night in his hotel room after his concert performance in Detroit.

The Wayne County, Michigan, medical examiner’s office ruled 52-year-old Cornell’s death a suicide by hanging. Detroit police said he was found with an exercise band around his neck.

During his Detroit performance, in which he praised Detroit Rock City, he had said, “I feel bad for the next city.”

Cornell was an icon during the ’90s grunge-rock movement through his time as a lead vocalist with bands Soundgarden and Audioslave.

“When you come to an event like this, where you were looking forward to seeing him, it’s tough to take,” said Tara Sigal, who traveled from New York to Columbus for the Rock on the Range show. “This is really hard to accept, especially for rock music fans.”

Cornell’s wife, Vicky, and his family are disputing the suicide ruling, saying in a statement that it is not possible to rule he “knowingly and intentionally” killed himself without toxicology tests because Cornell might have taken more of an anti-anxiety drug than he was prescribed.

Meanwhile, Rock on the Range attendees tried to make sense of it all.

“I really hope they come out with how he died because I really don’t think it was a suicide,” said Pittsburgh resident Nadine Luther. “I am just so shocked. Everyone here is so shocked.”

“I heard the news on the radio on my way to work, and my jaw just dropped. I was really looking forward to seeing them this weekend,” said Columbus native Harry Cutting. “... I really hope they do something cool for him during the festival because this impacts a lot of people.”

Rock on the Range planned a special tribute for Cornell on Friday after Live’s performance. Stone Sour also paid tribute to Cornell and Soundgarden at a festival kickoff Thursday night.

“Our hearts are filled with sorrow,” Rock on the Range spokeswoman Kristine Ashton-Magnuson said of Cornell’s passing, “but the show must go on.”

The festival is expected to bring in 120,000 people over three days for dozens of performances.

As storms moved through the area Friday, organizers shut down the show shortly after 3 p.m. Some attendees argued with employees about the legitimacy of the closing for the storm as others flooded the parking lot to leave or camp out in their cars.

The second day of Rock on the Range is scheduled to start at 11 a.m. today with Korn as the headliner. Metallica is scheduled to kick off the final day of the series Sunday.

]]>Jon Husted Announcing Gubernatorial Runhttp://wktn.com/ohio/303832
State News EditorSun, 07 May 2017 21:20:00 -0500http://wktn.com/ohio/303832
According to WBNS 10TV: COLUMBUS - He is ready to get to work on going for Ohio's top job.

Early Sunday morning, Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted announced on social media he is running for governor. Current Governor John Kasich's term will end in 2018.

On Monday, Husted gets to work on his campaign by launching a statewide tour. He will appear at 10 public events across Ohio this week.

"Jon Husted is the conservative candidate to lead the Republicans to victory in 2018," said Joshua Eck, spokesman for Husted for Ohio. "This week, we want to give as many Ohioans as possible the opportunity to hear his positive vision for state's future as he launches his campaign to be our next Governor."

]]>House Plan to Funnel More Money To Schoolshttp://wktn.com/ohio/302300
State News EditorWed, 26 Apr 2017 16:13:00 -0500http://wktn.com/ohio/302300
According to the Columbus Dispatch:

Ohio House Republicans are proposing hundreds of amendments to the budget proposed by Gov. John Kasich.

While most agencies saw funding cuts, House Republicans added nearly $90 million over two years for schools.

The House slightly increased the cap on funding increases to any one district, from 5 percent to 5.5 percent, increased the base per-pupil funding amount by 0.3 percent — to $6,020 — and put more money into capacity aid for poorer districts.

The House funding proposal would mean at least $100,000 extra for each of 165 districts. However, many districts cut under Kasich’s plan are still getting cut, just by a lesser amount.

Kasich’s budget left 390 districts with less money. The total is 350 under the House plan.

House leaders said the additional money shows education is a priority, but “frankly, $40 million (per year) over 612 districts doesn’t spread very far,” said Rep. Ryan Smith, R-Bidwell, chairman of the House Finance Committee. “It’s nothing that’s going to blow people away.”

]]>Columbus polar bear cubs to make first public appearance Wednesdayhttp://wktn.com/ohio/301096
State News EditorTue, 18 Apr 2017 17:19:00 -0500http://wktn.com/ohio/301096
COLUMBUS (WCMH) – The first of three polar bears born at the Columbus Zoo over the winter will be out for public viewing Wednesday morning.

The zoo plans to have Anana and her cub out on April 19 at 9am.

Aurora and her twins will be able to be seen by the public at a later date. The zoo said the three cubs will not be on view together because female polar bears typically raise their young independently.

According to the zoo, the polar bear mothers have been caring for their cubs in their dens and behind-the-scenes areas to ensure healthy development. After successfully completing “swim lessons,” the cubs have become acclimated to the outdoor habitat at Polar Frontier, where visitors can enjoy viewing them and learn more about this threatened species.

The three cubs are the only three polar bears born in a zoo in North America in 2016.

The zoo plans a special public announcement shortly after the viewing begins.

]]>Sheriff: Newcomerstown, Ohio officer lied about being shot during traffic stophttp://wktn.com/ohio/301095
State News EditorTue, 18 Apr 2017 17:18:00 -0500http://wktn.com/ohio/301095
NEWCOMERSTOWN, OH (WCMH) – The Tuscarawas County Sheriff said a Newcomerstown police officer made up a story about being shot last week.

Officer Bryan Eubanks originally said he was investigating a meth lab operating out of a Geo Tracker. He said the suspects shot him in the arm and drove off.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio's new anti-bestiality law was prompted in part by the case of a man charged with engaging for years in sexual intercourse with dogs. Similar laws against human-animal sexual acts are passing around the country.

In Ohio, animal-rights groups have joined with domestic violence shelters, psychologists and law enforcers to fight the perception that bestiality is little more than a joke. One criminologist reports a 600-percent increase in such crimes over the past seven years.

Experts say the internet has allowed like-minded individuals seeking to share animals for human sexual purposes to more easily communicate.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation released animal cruelty crime statistics for the first time last year. Bestiality is now seen as a red flag for acts of human violence, including against children, women and family members.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A work group that reviewed Ohio's new graduation requirements tied to more demanding exams recommends giving the first affected high schoolers more flexibility in how they can earn a diploma in a points-based system.

Educators say too many current juniors are at risk of not graduating in 2018 under the requirements, which outline three paths to earn a diploma: through college entrance exams, or through points systems for end-of-course exams and career-readiness. The work group suggests allowing the class of 2018 to earn points for alternatives such as "capstone" projects, community service or strong attendance.

Ohio's superintendent will review the recommendations before giving his own to the state school board.

The board could alter the number of required points, but changing the three diploma pathways themselves would require legislative approval.

Their bill would establish a toll-free number where workers could anonymously report instances of alleged wage discrimination. The phone line would also provide information to workers on whether they could be victims of pay discrimination.

The bill is unlikely to get far in the Republican-dominated state Legislature, where Democrats have long pushed measures to close the pay gap between men and women.

A 2016 study by the American Association of University Women found Ohio had one of the nation's biggest gender wage gaps, ranking 42nd nationally in pay equity.

The House Public Utilities Committee has set a Wednesday hearing on the measure, which is likely to clear the panel and head to a House floor vote this week.

Republican Gov. John Kasich (KAY'-sik) vetoed a similar bill last session, but fellow Republicans in the Legislature are determined to try again.

The latest bill would lift mandates requiring utility companies to generate or buy and sell a percentage of power from alternative and advanced sources, such as solar and wind, by set dates. It would also eliminate penalties utilities face for non-compliance.

House approval would send the bill to the GOP-led Ohio Senate, where its fate is uncertain.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cleveland's main airport is developing a system to help travelers more accurately compare wait times at its security checkpoints and better plan their trips.

Cleveland.com reports the system is being developed in conjunction with the Transportation Security Administration. It allows travelers to view wait times at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport's three checkpoints.

The TSA currently offers wait time estimates for airports nationwide on its website and mobile app. But that information is based on traveler feedback and is sometimes unreliable.

Airport spokeswoman Michele Dynia says the new system should begin testing in early April. Implementation is targeted for later in the month.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio motorists are now required to provide at least three feet of clearance when passing bicycles.

The Plain Dealer reports a law that took effect this past week expands on efforts by municipalities that had already imposed the three-foot passing rule.

The new law that cleared the state Legislature in December updates an earlier law that required drivers to pass cyclists at an unspecified safe distance.

Ohio joins more than half of U.S. states that now have three-foot passing laws in place. The standard is supported by the American Automobile Association and the League of American Bicyclists.

]]>Columbus area, not Cleveland, has most residents in new datahttp://wktn.com/ohio/297539
WKTN NewsThu, 23 Mar 2017 15:32:00 -0500http://wktn.com/ohio/297539
CLEVELAND (AP) — New U.S. Census Bureau estimates indicate that Ohio's most populous county is no longer the one that includes Cleveland but the one that includes Columbus.

The estimates have Cuyahoga (ky-uh-HOH'-guh) County losing about 5,700 people last year while Franklin County gained over 14,000 residents. That would leave each county with a population of more than 1.2 million people, with Franklin County ahead by roughly 15,000.

Cleveland.com reports that a big factor in the Cleveland area's population loss was people moving elsewhere. The bureau estimates that more than 10,000 Cuyahoga County residents moved elsewhere in Ohio or to another state. The counties anchored by Akron, Cincinnati, Dayton and Toledo also lost residents to so-called domestic migration, in smaller numbers.

The statewide population held relatively steady at more than 11.6 million.
]]>Ohio attorney general program to help children of addictshttp://wktn.com/ohio/297355
WKTN NewsWed, 22 Mar 2017 17:09:00 -0500http://wktn.com/ohio/297355
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine has announced a program to help families hurt by parents' addiction to painkillers and heroin.

The $3.6 million program unveiled Wednesday will aid children abused or neglected due to parental drug use in 14 southern Ohio counties.

Parents of children referred to the program will also receive drug treatment.

The Public Children Services Association of Ohio says one of every two children placed into foster care in 2015 were there because of abuse and neglect associated with their parents' drug use.

The Franklin County Coroner said last week that nearly a person a day is dying in central Ohio by overdosing on the painkiller fentanyl.

The Cuyahoga (ky-uh-HOH'-guh) County Medical Examiner says a record 60 people in that county died from opiate overdoses in February.

Lawsuits to be filed in Columbus, Cleveland and elsewhere Monday say the new law prohibits cities from effectively managing where wireless facilities are placed in local communities.

Mayors and city managers argue the provision violates the so-called Home Rule rights guaranteed municipalities in the Ohio Constitution.

They also argue the law was improperly tucked into an unrelated bill that dealt with pet store regulation in Ohio.

Cities challenging the law include Columbus and several central Ohio suburbs along with Cleveland and numerous northeastern Ohio municipalities.

The Ohio Attorney General's Office is reviewing the claim but didn't immediately comment.
]]>Victim's mom asks Ohio lawmakers for criminal registryhttp://wktn.com/ohio/296737
WKTN NewsSun, 19 Mar 2017 10:56:00 -0500http://wktn.com/ohio/296737
TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — The mother of an Ohio college student who went missing while bicycling and was found dead days later is asking Ohio lawmakers to create a public registry that tracks people convicted of violent crimes.

Sheila Vaculik told lawmakers this past week that she doesn't know if a registry could have prevented her daughter's death. But she says it might help someone else.

The idea came about after the death this summer of University of Toledo student Sierah Joughin (JAW'-gihn) and the arrest of a neighbor who was convicted of abducting another woman in 1990.

Two state lawmakers have proposed making a registry that tracks people convicted of crimes including murder, kidnapping and abduction.

A House bill introduced this past week would get rid of requirements forcing utilities to generate or buy and sell a percentage of power from alternative and advanced sources, such as solar, wind and clean coal.

Under the legislation, utilities would no longer face penalties for not meeting annual benchmarks for purchases of renewable energy and would instead have optional goals. The measure has more than 50 co-sponsors.

Republican Gov. John Kasich vetoed similar legislation last session, but the House GOP now has enough votes to override a governor's veto.

If the bill clears the House, it would still need to go through the Ohio Senate, where its fate is not yet clear.
]]>Ohio panel suggests changes in system for bail releasehttp://wktn.com/ohio/296312
WKTN NewsWed, 15 Mar 2017 11:45:00 -0500http://wktn.com/ohio/296312

CLEVELAND (AP) — A state panel is recommending changes to Ohio court practices that keep defendants in jail because they can't afford bail.

A special committee of the Ohio Criminal Sentencing Commission wants the state to create a system that determines release based on a defendant's likelihood of committing new crimes or skipping hearings.

The commission says release shouldn't depend on defendants' ability to pay for their freedom.

Cleveland.com reports the committee plans to present its recommendations to the Sentencing Commission on Thursday. The commission is expected to vote on the proposal in June.

A committee report says the reality is defendants with money can buy their freedom regardless of any danger they present to the community. The report says poor defendants, meanwhile, remain in jail before trial.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — State officials will spend more time reviewing public feedback before sending federal regulators Ohio's education and accountability plan under the law that replaced No Child Left Behind.

Ohio intended to submit the plan next month, but educators raised criticisms about the draft, particularly about not reducing standardized testing. State Superintendent Paolo DeMaria says Ohio will wait until a September deadline to submit the final plan and will carefully consider feedback in the meantime.

He says he'll convene an advisory committee to consider the testing issues. Ohio has 24 tests, more than required in the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, which gives states more control over schools and education policy.

DeMaria rebuffed critics' claims that the draft ignored public feedback, noting that its development took a year and involved 15,000 Ohioans.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Ohio Casino Control Commission has reported that revenue last month was down at the state's four casinos, but up at Ohio's seven racinos, compared with the same time last year.

Commission authorities announced Tuesday that casino revenue decreased 6.8 percent statewide to $67.2 million, compared with $72.1 million in February 2016. That marks the 10th consecutive month in which year-over-year revenues were lower.

Last year, total gambling revenue from Ohio's casinos totaled $797.9 million, down from $812.3 million in 2015.

Revenue at the state's racinos, which feature horse tracks with video slot machines, rose 8.4 percent to $78.3 million this February, compared with $72.2 million in February 2016.

Experts say racinos have been aided by their location and successful efforts to draw in gamblers.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio's state income tax revenue has come up short of estimates in the past several months, and state tax revenue overall is nearly 3 percent below estimates for the fiscal year.

The Columbus Dispatch reports that the state collected almost $280 million in February income taxes. That was 27.5 percent short of estimates, leaving total income tax collections $352 million short for the fiscal year. The total is also 5 percent behind revenue from the same period last year.

The newspaper reports that collections were short $71 million in November, $29 million in December, $92 million in January and $77 million in February.

The state's tax revenue overall is $412 million below estimates. Ohio's unemployment rate is currently at 5 percent.

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — High winds topping 50-60 mph in northern Ohio have shut down a bridge that carries Interstate 280 through Toledo and affected air travel in Cleveland.

Ohio's Department of Transportation posted a video showing a tractor-trailer toppling over Wednesday after crossing the Veterans' Glass City Skyway bridge. Crews later stopped traffic from crossing the bridge on I-280, a heavily traveled connector for trucks going between Detroit and northern Ohio.

The Ohio Turnpike banned some large vehicles because of the wind. The ban stretched from the Indiana-Ohio state line to Interstate 71 near Cleveland.

High winds also led some airlines to divert flights from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport to avoid any dangerous landing conditions from wind gusts.

Power lines and trees were reported down across various parts of northern Ohio.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — State officials say a record number of concealed carry licenses for handguns were issued last year.

The Ohio Attorney General's Office said Wednesday that nearly 118,000 new permits were issued in 2016 along with 41,000 renewals. The total of 159,000 permits is the highest number since the state began issuing concealed carry licenses in 2004.

The previous high for new and renewed permits was 145,000 in 2013.

The state also saw new highs last year for the number of licenses suspended after someone was arrested or charged with certain crimes, licenses revoked and license applications denied.

Each county sheriff must report concealed handgun license statistics to the state on a quarterly basis.

DANVILLE, Ohio (AP) — The trial of a man accused of fatally shooting an Ohio policeman has been pushed back again, this time until early October.

Herschel Jones III has pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder and other charges in the January 2016 slaying of Danville Officer Thomas Cottrell. The 34-year-old officer was found behind the village's municipal building, after Jones' ex-girlfriend warned police that he was "looking to kill a cop."

Jones' trial was scheduled for March, but has been rescheduled for Oct. 3.

The Mount Vernon News reports Jones' public defender, William Mooney, requested a delay for personal reasons.

The defense had argued that publicity would make it difficult to find an impartial local jury, but a judge refused to move it elsewhere.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Cleveland's police chief has held a disciplinary hearing for the 911 dispatcher who took a call that led to an officer fatally shooting 12-year-old Tamir (tuh-MEER') Rice, a black boy who was playing with a pellet gun outside a recreation center in 2014.

The caller told dispatcher Constance Hollinger that the suspicious person was probably a juvenile with a fake weapon. Hollinger is accused of not relaying that to another dispatcher communicating with responders.

A prosecutor said the responding officers, who are white, believed the gun was real. They weren't criminally charged, but also face potential internal discipline.

The police union president says Hollinger is a good dispatcher who responded according to training and experience.

She could face up to 10 days of unpaid suspension. The chief makes that decision. The was no immediate word when the chief will release his decision.

VAN WERT, Ohio (AP) — A 95-year-old World War II veteran in Ohio has received his combat medals that were mistakenly withheld.

U.S. Rep. Bob Latta presented a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart and other decorations to Orval Mullen on Wednesday, his birthday, at an American Legion hall in Van Wert.

Latta says Mullen earned the commendations for heroic actions in combat but never got them because of "a military oversight." Latta says he learned about that oversight last summer while interviewing Mullen for the Library of Congress Veterans' History Project and wanted to make sure the error was corrected.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio drivers may be paying more to get their license plate or driver's license under proposed changes to the state transportation budget.

One change proposed Tuesday by the Ohio House of Representatives Finance Committee would allow county commissioners to levy a new $5 fee for Ohio license plates. Money collected through the increase would be used to pay for transportation projects.

If approved, the proposal would increase the total base cost of a passenger car plate to $39.50, while the cost of a motorcycle plate would increase to $33.50.

Service fees paid to deputy registrars who run the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles offices also would increase under the proposed changes to Gov. John Kasich's (KAY'-siks) two-year, $7.8 billion transportation budget. The service fees would rise from $3.50 to $5.25.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Some state lawmakers want to bring back cursive handwriting as a requirement in Ohio's elementary schools.

Republican Reps. Andrew Brenner and Marilyn Slaby have proposed legislation that would again make cursive instruction mandatory between kindergarten and fifth grade. Thirteen representatives have signed on as co-sponsors.

The bill would require schools to make sure students can write legibly in standard print by third grade and in cursive by the end of fifth grade.

The state doesn't currently require that cursive be taught in schools, and it's not part of the multi-state Common Core standards on which Ohio's standards are based. However, cursive instruction is included in the state's "model curriculum" for third and fourth grade.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — John Glenn is continuing to inspire 55 years after becoming the first American to orbit Earth.

Since Glenn's death on Dec. 8 at the age of 95, devotees have visited an exhibit of his artifacts at Ohio State University, backers have begun fundraising for an observatory and astronomy park in Glenn's name and work has begun on a 7-foot statue in his likeness.

Glenn's storied life included time as a military test pilot and U.S. senator, but it was the history-making Mercury mission that propelled Glenn and his spacecraft Friendship 7 into the history books.

The anniversary of the flight is Monday.

During 4 hours, 55 minutes and 23 seconds on Feb. 20, 1962, the capsule circled the Earth three times, making Glenn the first American to orbit Earth.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — In the timeline of politics, Ohio's next statewide election is just around the corner.

For Republicans, that means working to avert a collision in 2018 among three high-profile gubernatorial hopefuls: Attorney General Mike DeWine, Secretary of State Jon Husted (HYOO'-sted) and Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor.

For out-of-power Democrats, the challenge is even trickier: Finding any candidate with the political clout and statewide name recognition to win.

Ex-Attorney General Richard Cordray would be among the Democrats' top possibilities should Republicans in Washington succeed in firing him as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Talk-show host Jerry Springer also is considering a run. So are U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, Ohio Supreme Court Justice Bill O'Neill, and former state Rep. Connie Pillich.

Republican Gov. John Kasich cannot run for re-election because of term limits.

WEST LIBERTY, Ohio (AP) — A 16-year-old boy who was shot at his Ohio school a month ago says he's "feeling pretty good" and is glad to be attending classes and other school activities as life gets back to normal.

The Springfield News-Sun reports that Logan Cole discussed his recovery in an interview this week with radio station WBLL in Bellefontaine (behl-FOWN'-tihn). He says keeping a positive, forgiving attitude is part of his coping strategy.

He was hospitalized and required surgery after the Jan. 20 attack at a high school in West Liberty.

Authorities say 17-year-old Ely Serna fired a 12-gauge shotgun. He is charged in juvenile court with attempted murder, felonious assault and other offenses. He has denied the charges.

A judge ordered a competency evaluation of Serna at his attorney's request.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A police relations advisory board has approved a first-ever standard for Ohio law enforcement agencies for keeping racial and gender bias out of their interactions with the public.

The standard approved Friday requires agencies to adopt policies prohibiting bias in traffic stops and when officers interact with individuals who aren't in vehicles, such as questioning suspects in a crime.

The standard also requires agencies to collect the race and gender of drivers stopped by police.

This is the seventh standard approved by the board commissioned by Gov. John Kasich (KAY'-sihk) after a series of fatal police shootings in Ohio and nationally.

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AP) — The president of the National Aviation Hall of Fame in Ohio says it considered selling a century-old wooden propeller signed by one of the Wright brothers but decided against it, at least for now.

The Dayton Daily News reports the 8 ½ foot spruce propeller from 1915 is the only known airplane artifact with the signature of one of the aviation pioneer siblings, Orville Wright.

It's thought to have been on a Wright-built float plane. It was bought for $37,000 and donated to the hall near Dayton in 2004, but more recently was appraised for at least $275,000.

It's not on display because the five-figure expense to conserve it for public view didn't fit the hall's business plans, so officials considered selling it for display at an aviation-related museum or site.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Police in central Ohio say officers fatally shot a man who confronted them with a knife and was suspected of earlier cutting a driver's neck and taking his car keys.

Columbus police say they went to a home in search of the suspect in the Tuesday night assault, and when he confronted them with a combat knife, a detective and officer repeatedly fired at him. He was hit multiple times and died at a hospital.

No officers were hurt.

Police said they would publicly identify the slain suspect after his family is notified.

Police say the man whose neck was cut suffered critical injuries and was being treated at a hospital. They say a woman who witnessed that attack and tried to intervene gave police the suspect's name.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio woman accused of livestreaming images of a man raping a 17-year-old girl has been sentenced to nine months in prison.

Nineteen-year-old Marina Lonina was sentenced Monday in Columbus after pleading guilty to one count of obstructing justice under a deal with prosecutors. She initially faced other charges, including rape and pandering sexual matter involving a minor.

Authorities alleged that she used the social media app Periscope to livestream the assault last February.

Defense attorney Sam Shamansky tells The Columbus Dispatch that Lonina admitted to failing to report the rape or turn over her evidence afterward.

The 29-year-old rape suspect, Raymond Gates, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to nine years in prison.

The victim alleged that Lonina set up the rape. Shamansky calls that allegation "unmitigated nonsense."

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — A man accused of defrauding nearly 500 victims in what authorities describe as a $70 million Ponzi scheme has pleaded guilty in Ohio to federal charges including conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud

Authorities say 55-year-old William Apostelos, formerly of Springboro in western Ohio, also pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Dayton to a charge of theft or embezzlement from an employee benefit plan.

Prosecutors say the scheme began in 2009 and continued at least five years.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Human remains have been found in a wooded area near a golf course in central Ohio.

Perry Township police said Monday that the remains were discovered by two women who were walking a dog on Sunday morning in a wooded area near the Brookside Golf Course and Country Club in suburban Columbus. Township police Chief John Petrozzi says a human skull and a leg bone were found at the site.

Petrozzi says officers were notified around 10:30 a.m. Sunday. He says it appears that the remains had been there for some time. Forensic anthropologists will be needed to determine how long.

Petrozzi says it also is not clear how the person died.

The state Bureau of Criminal Investigation is assisting police in their investigation.

LORAIN, Ohio (AP) - Authorities in northern Ohio say a woman's admission that she set a fire at her apartment building has spurred them to investigate whether evidence connects other home fires to her or her mother, who has a previous arson conviction.

Police in Elyria (eh-LEER'-ee-uh) say 32-year-old Trista Mussell said she set the Jan. 2 fire with a lighter and some paper because she was upset about her apartment being dirty and having cockroaches.

She was jailed on an aggravated arson charge. Her attorney, JD Tomlinson, told The Chronicle-Telegram that Mussell was waiting for a grand jury to consider the case.

Lorain Fire Marshal Matt Homolya says investigators believe they can link four more fires to Mussell and three to her mother since her mother's arson conviction in 2000.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Attorneys for a death row inmate sentenced to die for fatally stabbing a 67-year-old man are asking the Ohio Parole Board for mercy for their client.

Raymond Tibbetts is scheduled for execution in April. He was convicted of killing Fred Hicks at Hicks' Cincinnati home in 1997.

The parole board meets Tuesday to hear arguments for and against clemency for Tibbetts.

Records show that Tibbetts first killed his wife, 42-year-old Judith Crawford, by beating her with a bat and stabbing her during an argument over Tibbetts' crack cocaine habit. Tibbetts then killed Hicks, who had hired Crawford as a caretaker and allowed the couple to stay with him.

Tibbetts was sentenced to death for the killing of Hicks and life imprisonment without parole for Crawford's death.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The state is urging Ohio law enforcement agencies to adopt new statewide standards governing the use of deadly force, body cameras, hiring and other policies ahead of a March deadline.

An advisory board commissioned by Gov. John Kasich created the standards after a series of fatal police shootings, including the 2014 death of 12-year-old Tamir Rice in Cleveland.

The state Department of Public Safety says more than 300 agencies employing just over half of all Ohio police officers have received certification or applied to participate to date.

Agencies must apply to adopt the standards as minimum policies soon or be listed as noncompliant on a list to be published in March.

CLEVELAND (AP) — The University of Wisconsin-Madison says one of its freshmen was among the six people aboard a small plane that disappeared over Lake Erie near Cleveland last week.

The university says 19-year-old Megan Casey, of Powell, Ohio, had been attending a Cleveland Cavaliers game with her father, Brian, and four neighbors. The university says the six were returning to Columbus when the plane vanished late Thursday shortly after takeoff.

So far there has been no sign of the plane or its occupants, though there have been multiple reports of debris washing ashore near the airport where the plane took off. Police say they have confirmed that a bag recovered Sunday was from the aircraft.

The university says Megan Casey was in a sorority and was pursuing a career in nursing.

LOGAN, Ohio (AP) — Backers are fundraising to build an observatory and astronomy park named for the late space hero John Glenn at a state park in his native Ohio.

Members of the nonprofit Friends of Hocking Hills State Park say they've secured half of the $1.6 million budget for the proposed project at the park about 45 miles southeast of Columbus. They say the lack of light pollution in the area allows clear views of the night sky.

The head of the nonprofit group's board says in a statement that the park could offer research and education opportunities, help spark visitors' interest in science and astronomy and honor Glenn's legacy.

Glenn was the first American astronaut to orbit Earth and later became a U.S. senator. He died Dec. 8, at age 95.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio high-schooler is being credited with saving herself and her three younger brothers from a house fire.

The Columbus Dispatch reports that 16-year-old Abbi Swank's parents were delivering newspapers at around 4 a.m. Thursday when fire engulfed the north side house where she and her siblings were sleeping.

The Whetstone High School junior awoke to the sounds of her 11-year-old brother, Tyler, screaming. She smelled smoke, wrapped herself in a blanket and ran.

Abbi made sure Tyler and her 9-year-old brother, Bo, got outside. She was unable to rouse her 13-year-old brother, Kyle, so she dragged him out. Abbi then called her parents and 911.

Columbus fire officials said her actions probably saved all four children.

MARYSVILLE, Ohio (AP) — A court has dismissed an appeal by a former Ohio National Guardsman sentenced to life in prison for sexually abusing three adopted daughters.

An attorney for the 43-year-old Marysville man argued evidence didn't support the conviction, the man had ineffective legal counsel and the child witnesses recanted their accounts at some point.

The man denied abusing the girls. His wife testified she never saw signs of such abuse. She was sentenced to 18 months in prison for intimidation and obstructing justice.

The appeals court ruling issued last month dismissed the man's appeal because the case wasn't fully resolved at the county level, as the jury deadlocked on one charge that hadn't yet been retried or dismissed.

The Associated Press isn't naming the couple to protect the children's identities.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Two differing abortion bans have arrived at Ohio Gov. John Kasich's (KAY'-sikz) desk, and lobbying is intensifying for and against the measures.

One bill prohibits abortions after the 20-week mark, when proponents assert a fetus can feel pain. The second bars the procedure at the first detectable heartbeat, as early as six weeks into pregnancy.

The anti-abortion group Ohio Right to Life has asked the Republican governor to sign the 20-week ban and not to sign the heartbeat bill provisions. It calls a "pain-capable" ban the only "viable way forward" to sparking the legal challenge that could end abortion nationally.

The 16,000-member Ohio State Medical Association asked Kasich to veto both bills. The physicians' group says it doesn't take positions on abortion but opposes criminalizing a procedure that's part of standard care.

]]>Former Astronaut, US Sen. John Glenn of Ohio has Died at 95http://wktn.com/ohio/283205
WKTN NewsThu, 08 Dec 2016 15:33:00 -0600http://wktn.com/ohio/283205

Former astronaut and U.S. Sen. John Glenn has died in Ohio. He was 95.

Glenn became a national hero in 1962 when he became the first American to orbit the Earth.

Hank Wilson with the John Glenn School of Public Affairs says Glenn died Thursday afternoon at the James Cancer Hospital in Columbus.

Glenn was the third U.S. astronaut in space and the first of them to get into orbit. He circled the Earth three times. The Soviet Union had put a man into orbit a year earlier in 1961.

Glenn then spent 24 years as a Democrat from Ohio in the Senate and briefly made a run for president in 1984. He returned to space in 1998, at age 77, aboard space shuttle Discovery.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - The Latest on bills moving through the Legislature in its final 2016 sessions (all times local):

4:45 p.m.

An Ohio Senate committee has approved a bill to expand the state's concealed weapons law to allow guns in places such as colleges and day cares and on private aircraft.

The bill still permits those places to ban guns if they want. It would keep a ban on concealed weapons in government buildings, unless an agency decides to allow them.

The Senate Government Oversight & Reform Committee approved the bill Wednesday, sending it onto the full Senate. The House passed the bill last year.

The Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police and the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association oppose the bill. The Buckeye State Sheriffs' Association supports it.

The bill is sponsored by Republican Rep. Ron Maag (MAG) of Lebanon, in southwestern Ohio.

---

4:30 p.m.

The Ohio House has approved a bill that would prohibit local municipalities from setting minimum wages higher than the state level.

Republican backers say a patchwork of minimum wage laws would create an uncertain business environment that could hurt current companies and drive those considering Ohio to look at other states.

Democratic opponents say local communities should be allowed to set minimum wages above Ohio's current level of $8.10 to help workers.

The bill was included in legislation overriding local ordinances that regulate pet stores, requiring them to purchase animals from shelters and rescue groups as opposed to buying them from high-volume breeders, which critics say are often puppy mills that treat animals poorly.

The legislation also includes bans on bestiality and a crackdown on cockfighting and "bearbaiting."

---

1:35 p.m.

In the final days of their two-year session, Ohio lawmakers hope to vote on bills that would ban abortions after 20 weeks, permit concealed weapons in more places including day cares and outlaw puppy mills.

The 20-week ban would be added to legislation already on its way to Republican Gov. John Kasich that would prohibit abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected.

House lawmakers heard testimony about the 20-week ban Wednesday morning with a scheduled committee vote in the afternoon and a goal to put it on the House floor later in the day.

Another bill would regulate pet stores and require them to purchase animals from shelters and rescue groups. Another measure would expand the state's concealed-weapons law to allow guns at places like day cares and colleges.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Latest on reports of an active shooter on the Ohio State University campus (all times local):

4:30 p.m.

Authorities say the officer who killed an attacker at Ohio State University was a university police officer who'd been on the job for less than two years.

Department of Public Safety Director Monica Moll identified the officer as 28-year-old Alan Horujko. She says he started on the Ohio State police force in January 2015.

Ohio State Police Chief Craig Stone says it was fortunate there was a nearby gas leak that the officer had gone to investigate. Stone says it helped position Horujko to respond to the attack so quickly.

Those injured in the attack included an Ohio State faculty member, four graduate students and three undergrads.

Authorities say they were able to get photos of the suspect's vehicle driving onto campus and confirmed only one person was in the car.

___

4:10 p.m.

A director of public safety says a man who drove a car into pedestrians and began stabbing people at Ohio State was a student at the school.

Ohio State Department of Public Safety Director Monica Moll also identified the now-deceased suspect as Abdul Razak Ali Artan.

A U.S. official earlier told The Associated Press that he was born in Somalia and living in the United States as a legal permanent resident. The official wasn't authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing case and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Authorities say Artan was shot to death by a police officer Monday morning shortly after he drove up onto a curb into pedestrians, got out of the car and began stabbing people with a butcher knife.

Nine people were injured, including one critically.

___

3:20 p.m.

A U.S. official has identified the suspect in the Ohio State attack that injured nine people as a man of Somali descent.

The official identified Abdul Razak Ali Artan as the now-deceased suspect. He was born in Somalia and living in the United States as a legal permanent resident. It was unclear when Artan came to the U.S.

The official wasn't authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing case and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

A second law enforcement official confirmed that authorities believe the suspect's name is Abdul Artan. That official also wasn't authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing case and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Authorities say the suspect was shot to death Monday by a police officer after driving up onto a curb and into pedestrians and attacking people with a knife.

A police chief says authorities are looking into whether the attack at Ohio State University was related to terrorism.

Columbus Police Chief Kim Jacobs was asked at a news conference Monday afternoon whether authorities were considering the possibility that it was a terror attack.

Jacobs says, "I think we have to consider that it is."

Authorities say a man purposely plowed his car over a curb and into pedestrians on Monday morning before jumping out of the car and attacking people with a butcher knife. A police officer who was nearby because of an earlier gas leak was on the scene in a minute and shot and killed the attacker.

The FBI and other agencies joined the investigation.

Authorities say nine people were hurt, one of them critically.

___

1:50 p.m.

A witness to an attack at Ohio State University says he initially thought a car had driven over a curb into pedestrians accidentally but realized it was intentional when a man emerged with a butcher knife.

Student Martin Schneider says he saw the attack take place Monday morning.

He says he saw the attacker hit several people with the car, then emerge swinging the knife.

Schneider says the attacker didn't say anything.

He says he heard the car's engine revving before it hit the curb because it was going pretty fast. He says he also heard yells from a frightened crowd.

Ohio State Police Chief Craig Stone says an officer who was nearby because of an earlier gas leak shot and killed the attacker.

Nine people were taken to hospitals.

___

1:20 p.m.

Authorities are now saying nine people were injured at Ohio State University when an attacker purposely drove over a curb and into pedestrians and then got out of the vehicle and began stabbing people with a butcher knife.

Ohio State Police Chief Craig Stone says eight of the victims are in stable condition and one victim is in critical condition after the attack Monday. Authorities said two people had been stabbed, four people had been hurt by a car and two others were treated for lacerations.

The injuries to the ninth person weren't immediately clear.

Earlier, hospital officials said that eight people had non-life-threatening injuries.

Stone says an officer who was nearby because of an earlier gas leak shot and killed the male suspect.

___

1:10 p.m.

Ohio State police say the attacker on campus purposely drove over a curb and into pedestrians and then got out of the vehicle and began stabbing people with a butcher knife.

Authorities also said police believe that there was only one attacker. Ohio State said earlier that the suspect had been shot and killed. 9 non-life-threatening injuries reported aby Ohio State University officials.

The university had sent out a series of tweets at around 10 a.m. Monday saying there was an active shooter on campus and that shooters should run, hide or fight. About an hour and a half later, the university said a shelter-in-place warning had been lifted and the scene was secure.

Authorities said later that it doesn't appear that the suspect used a gun in the attack.

____

12:50 p.m.

A spokesman for Ohio State University says a suspect in an attack on campus that injured at least eight people has been shot and killed.

Ben Johnson also said Monday that injuries in the attack included stab wounds and being struck by a vehicle.

A law enforcement official told The Associated Press that the suspect is believed to have initially struck people with a car before beginning to stab victims. There was no indication that the suspect shot anyone. The official wasn't authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation by name and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The details started to emerge after a morning of confusion and conflicting reports that began with the university issuing tweets warning students that there was an "active shooter" on campus near the engineering building and that they should "run, hide, fight."

12:15 p.m.

A spokesman for Ohio State University says a suspect in attack on campus has been shot and killed and injuries in the attack on campus included stab wounds and being struck by a vehicle.

Ben Johnson said Monday that there were also other injuries that were being evaluated.

He says campus will remain open, but classes will be canceled for the rest of the day.

The university had sent a series of tweets at around 10 a.m. Monday saying there was an active shooter on campus and that students should run, hide or fight. About an hour and a half later, the university said a shelter-in-place warning had been lifted and the scene was secure.

At least eight people have been sent to hospitals.

The fate of any suspect or suspects wasn't immediately clear.

12:05 p.m.

Hospital officials say eight patients they received from the scene of a reported attack at Ohio State University have non-life-threatening injuries.

The university had warned students in a series of tweets earlier Monday that there was an active shooter on campus and that they should run, hide or fight. About an hour and a half later, the university said a shelter-in-place warning had been lifted and the scene was secure.

The fire department had earlier said that seven people had been taken to hospitals.

It wasn't immediately clear if a suspect or suspects in the attack were among the people sent to the hospitals.

___

11:35 a.m.

Ohio State University says a shelter-in-place warning has been lifted and the scene is secure following reports of an active shooter and at least seven people injured.

Ohio State tweeted Monday morning that all classes would be canceled for the rest of the day.

The university had warned students in a series of tweets earlier Monday that there was an active shooter on campus and that they should run, hide or fight.

The Columbus Fire Department says seven people had been taken to the hospital. It says two of those people were in stable condition. It didn't have details on the other five.

___

11:33 a.m.

Ohio State says shelter-in-place warning is lifted and scene is secure after active shooter report, injuries. All Ohio State Columbus classes have been canceled for today.

10:45 a.m.

The fire department says seven people have been sent to the hospital after an active shooter was reported at Ohio State University.

The Columbus Fire Department says two of those people are in stable condition. It had no information on the other five people.

Ohio State University warned students in a series of tweets Monday morning that there was an active shooter on campus and that they should run, hide or fight.

This story has been corrected to show that the fire department said seven people have been sent to the hospital after a report of an active shooter at Ohio State University, not that they said seven people have been sent to the hospital after a shooting at Ohio State University.

___

10:30 a.m.

Ohio State University is telling students there's an active shooter on campus and they should "Run Hide Fight."

Ohio State's official Twitter page retweeted a post from OSU Emergency Management saying there is an active shooter on campus in Columbus on Monday morning.

"Run, hide, fight" is standard protocol for active shooter situations. It means: Run, evacuate if possible; Hide, get silently out of view; or Fight, as a last resort, take action to disrupt or incapacitate the shooter if your life is in imminent danger.

A Columbus police dispatcher declined to comment on the reports, but police vehicles were seen at the scene.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Police say a woman has died after driving the wrong way on a central Ohio street and hitting another vehicle head-on.

Columbus police say 60-year-old Bonita Allen, of Columbus, was killed while driving the wrong way on U.S. 23 early Monday. Police say Allen collided head-on with a sports utility vehicle, causing it to spin and hit a car in the same lane.

Police say two women in the SUV and a man in the car received treatment for non-life threatening injuries.

CINCINNATI (AP) — A federal inspection has concluded that the Cincinnati Zoo's barrier to keep the public and gorillas separate wasn't in compliance with standards for housing primates the day a 3-year-old boy slipped into the gorilla exhibit and a gorilla named Harambe (huh-RAHM'-bay) was fatally shot.

The inspection report states that the zoo's dangerous-animal response team properly followed procedures after zoo visitors called 911 on May 28 to report a child in the gorilla enclosure. A team member concluded the child was in "life-threatening danger." The gorilla was killed to save the boy's life.

The zoo quickly made the barrier taller and used nylon mesh to close any gaps. It says there had been no earlier issues with the barriers, which were found compliant in earlier federal inspections, including in April.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Columbus police report an activist in a small group protesting construction of the Dakota Access oil pipeline blocked traffic by handcuffing himself under a vehicle at a downtown intersection in the central Ohio city.

WCMH-TV reports other protesters chanted slogans like "water is life" as police and firefighters worked to remove the man from the minivan Monday. They used a saw to free him. Officers said the protester was facing various misdemeanor charges.

The Columbus Dispatch reports a group called Appalachia Resist said in a news release that the demonstration was part of a nationwide protest of the pipeline. The $3.8 billion pipeline is to carry crude oil from North Dakota to terminals in Illinois.

Native Americans and environmentalists say it will threaten water supplies and harm sacred tribal land.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Public school superintendents from around Ohio are raising concerns that a large number of high schoolers are in jeopardy of not graduating as expected next school year because of new requirements tied to more demanding tests.

Some of those administrators and other supporters rallied Tuesday outside the Statehouse as the state school board discusses potential changes to address the issue. Several superintendents addressing the crowd urged supporters to keep the conversation going with lawmakers and board members to bring about change.

Superintendents from some districts estimate one-third or more of their current juniors are at risk of not graduating next year. The class of 2018 is the first one subject to the new rules, which are tied to end-of-course exams that are more demanding than the old Ohio Graduation Tests.

The public defender assigned to represent Mucciarone said Wednesday he had no comment.

Police say Mucciarone brought the sippy cup and her 23-month-old son to a Conneaut High School football game Oct. 28 and a relative later noticed something wrong with the boy when he couldn't stand up. Police were called to a hospital where the toddler was treated.

Conneaut's police chief says the toddler has been placed in the custody of a relative.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A man convicted of beating his wife's heroin supplier with a baseball bat has been sentenced to probation by an Ohio judge who noted extensive support for the defendant from a community fed up with drug problems.

The Columbus Dispatch reports Edwin Sobony II could have faced eight years in prison but was sentenced Wednesday to two years of probation for felonious assault.

Franklin County Judge Charles Schneider said he doesn't support "vigilante justice" but concluded that Sobony is unlikely to re-offend. Schneider said he received lots of letters in support of Sobony before sentencing and people offered to pay Sobony's legal bills.

The 38-year-old apologized in court for the December beating, which left the alleged supplier with skull fractures. Sobony says he was trying to protect his family.

The U.S. Consumer Product and Safety Administration issued a recall Wednesday for Midea made dehumidifiers that can overheat, smoke and catch fire, posing serious fire and burn hazards. The recall involves about 3.4 million (in addition 850,000 were sold in Canada) units sold over a 10 year period. Dehumidifiers should be unplugged immediately.

The brand name, model number, pint capacity and manufacture date are printed on the nameplate sticker on the back of the dehumidifier. To determine if your dehumidifier has been recalled, enter the model number at https://www.recallrtr.com/dehumidifier.

The dehumidifiers were sold at a number of retail locations including Lowes, Menards, PC Richard and other stores nationwide from January 2003 through December 2013 for between $100 and $300.

So far the chinese company Mides has received 38 reports of smoke and fire. About $4.8 million property damage has been reported. With no injuries have been reported.

Consumers should immediately turn off and unplug the dehumidifiers and contact GD Midea for either a replacement unit or a partial refund. Consumers whose dehumidifiers were manufactured before October 1, 2008 will receive a partial refund, not a replacement. The manufacturing dates can be found on back of units.

CINCINNATI (AP) — A Cincinnati Children's Hospital doctor who works with newborns addicted to heroin says the opiate epidemic is harming children born addicted and creating chaos for older kids who can't have normal childhoods because of their parents' drug problems.

Dr. Kathy Wedig says the epidemic affects society overall because of the cost of treating and helping such children.

Wedig spoke Tuesday at a Cincinnati conference addressing the epidemic's effects on children. The event drew hundreds of doctors, nurses, social workers and addiction specialists.

The Public Children Services Association of Ohio says the number of children taken into custody has risen 19 percent over the past seven years, largely due to parents' painkiller and heroin addictions. The group says placing addicts' children in protective custody is costing taxpayers $45 million annually.

The 14-member panel is charged with coming up with recommendations on how medicinal cannabis will be grown, packaged, distributed and regulated. It was holding its first meeting Tuesday in Columbus.

A law that took effect Sept. 8 created the Medical Marijuana Advisory Committee. The law gave the state a year to put the program in place.

The panel includes appointees of Republican Gov. John Kasich (KAY'-sik) and legislative leaders of both parties. Representatives include pharmacists, physicians, a nurse, a patient advocate, a caregiver, a farmer, a county sheriff, the political director for a labor union, an employer and a college professor.

CINCINNATI (AP) — Nine colorful glass mosaic murals can be viewed any time at their new home in southwest Ohio.

Cincinnati's murals are now on display in protective cases on an exterior wall at the downtown convention center, with the display officially dedicated Thursday. The 1933 murals by art deco artist Winold Reiss depict Cincinnati manufacturing history, showing workers at companies such as Procter & Gamble and Cincinnati Milling.

The artwork was originally in the Union Terminal train concourse, but was moved in 1973 to the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport before the train concourse was razed. They had to move again because of airport terminal demolition plans.

The light-reflecting mosaics were made from small glass pieces and tinted mortar. Each is some 20 feet tall by 20 feet wide and weighs 8 tons.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ohio (AP) — Officials say they've seized more than 130 animals from a home in a southwest Ohio village in a case they're calling a "farmyard of horrors."

Barb Ashmore, who is the deputy dog warden for the Brown County Animal Shelter, told WXIX-TV on Monday that 139 animals were removed from the backyard of a Fayetteville (FAY'uht-vil) home, including dogs, goats, chickens, sheep and rabbits.

Ashmore says some animals were found dead and that others were barely alive due to the filthy conditions and lack of space to move around.

The animals were seized following an odor complaint.

Ashmore says the homeowner, who isn't currently facing charges, told officials he was going to try to feed his family on the animals.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on a National Transportation Safety Board hearing on a 2015 corporate jet crash in Akron. (all times local):

12:25 p.m.

The National Transportation Safety Board has concluded pilot error during approach to an Ohio airport caused the fiery crash that killed two pilots and seven passengers aboard a corporate jet last year.

The board voted Tuesday to also affix blame to the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, aviation company that operated the jet for inadequate pilot training and aircraft maintenance, and the Federal Aviation Administration for failing to provide proper oversight of the company.

The NTSB investigation concluded the pilot attempting to land the jet last November caused an aerodynamic stall by improperly setting the plane's flaps and failing to maintain proper speed on approach to the Akron airport.

The plane carrying seven employees of a Boca Raton, Florida, company crashed into an apartment building less than two miles from the airport.

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10:30 a.m.

The chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board says the flight crew of a corporate jet that crashed last year on approach to an Ohio airport, their employer and the Federal Aviation Administration "fell short" in ensuring the safety of the seven passengers killed in the fiery crash.

During a hearing Tuesday in Washington to decide what caused the crash, NTSB Chairman Christopher Hart said the investigation of the November 2015 crash outside Akron Fulton International Airport showed disregarded procedures leading up to the crash read like "pages from a basic text for preventing accidents."

The 10-passenger jet dove into an apartment building less than 2 miles from the airport. No one on the ground was injured.

Hart said in an opening statement that the pilots failed to use required checklists and used an improper and "unstabilized" approach as they neared the airport.

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12:30 a.m.

Federal investigators are set to decide the probable cause for a corporate jet crash that killed nine people on approach to an Ohio airport last November.

The National Transportation Safety Board is scheduled to meet on Tuesday in Washington.

The jet crashed less than two miles from the runway at Akron Fulton International Airport. Surveillance video from a nearby business shows the jet descending at a high rate of speed over trees before crashing into an apartment building and exploding.

No one on the ground was injured.

The two pilots were killed, along with seven employees of a commercial real estate company based in Boca Raton, Florida.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Six former Cleveland police officers are trying to get their jobs back after being fired following a high-speed chase and deadly shooting that led to changes at the department.

The November 2012 chase began when officers mistook the sound of a backfiring vehicle for a gunshot. It ended in a 137-shot barrage that killed two unarmed black people in East Cleveland.

Cleveland.com reports the arbitration process includes patrolman Michael Brelo, the only officer charged with a felony in the case. He was acquitted of manslaughter charges for firing the last 15 shots.

Thirteen officers fired shots. Six officers, including Brelo, were fired in January. A seventh officer retired before facing discipline.

The police union president vowed to fight the discipline and has described the firings as unprecedented and politically motivated.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio lawmaker has proposed giving state casino regulators authority over fantasy football leagues, office March Madness pools and similar games to ensure they aren't operated for profit.

The Blade of Toledo reports Republican state Senator Bill Coley's bill would put the state Casino Control Commission in charge of regulating the operators of pools and fantasy leagues.

Failing to pay out every penny of the entry fees in prizes would remain a crime under the bill. For-profit pools and internet gambling are already illegal in the state.

AKRON, Ohio (AP) — A rare LeBron James autographed rookie card is up for auction and could fetch up to $200,000.

The Akron Beacon Journal reports just eight bidders had vied as of Friday for what's being billed as the world's rarest and most valuable James basketball trading card. The leading bid of $85,000 was expected to grow before the auction closed Saturday.

The one-of-a-kind card from Upper Deck's 2003/04 Ultimate Collection series features a picture of the Cleveland Cavalier taking a shot, along with a swath of the NBA logo from his game uniform. It was randomly placed into a pack of cards.

Officials at New Jersey-based Goldin Auctions haven't disclosed the identity of the seller but say the card will be sold as the minimum $50,000 bid has been met.

GARRETTSVILLE, Ohio (AP) — Organizers of a rural Ohio bowling alley's weekly raffle that has drawn huge crowds in recent weeks say a woman has won more than $3 million.

SkyLane Bowling owner Aaron King says a Mantua woman won the Queen of Hearts drawing Sunday. The winner wasn't present at the Garrettsville bowling alley but will receive the full prize — 90 percent of the $3.4 million jackpot.

About 15,000 people showed up for the drawing last week, prompting organizers in the Cleveland suburb to change the rules so the winner didn't have to be present to receive the full winnings.

The drawing cost $5 a ticket. Players hope to guess which slot on a board of cards holds the namesake card.